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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23517973">A Matter Of Words (English Translation)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TonyCantSleep/pseuds/TonyCantSleep'>TonyCantSleep</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Deaf!Tony Stark, Feelings Realization, Hurt Tony Stark, Insecure Stephen Strange, Italian Tony Stark, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Tony Stark Needs a Hug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:53:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,364</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23517973</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TonyCantSleep/pseuds/TonyCantSleep</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When you turn 13, the first words your soulmate would ever tell you appear on your wrist. </p><p>But no to Stephen Strange. His wrist was empty since the day he turned 13.</p><p>Besides, Tony Stark had 3 simple words on his wrist. The words that he needed to hear since forever, but none asked. And the day someone did, he couldn't hear them, because he is deaf.</p><p>(English Translation)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tony Stark/Stephen Strange</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>187</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Stephen.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            A translation of

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23504347">A Matter Of Words. (Versión Español)</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/TonyCantSleep/pseuds/TonyCantSleep">TonyCantSleep</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Based on a TikTok I saw a couple of days ago.<br/>Putting on good use my billingual habilities I decided to make both versions (Spanish and English), being this the translation.<br/>Although, English it's no my first language, so perhaps it'll have some mistakes.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter made from Stephen POV, hope you enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stephen always thought that the whole soulmates deal was nothing more than things taken out of a fairytale. Crappy things people would invent just to justify their feelings.</p><p> </p><p>He never really believed all that shit.</p><p> </p><p>Since he was a kid, he had to watch his family crumbling down. His parents fighting and shouting every day, until time drove them apart. Divorced came and his family had to split.</p><p> </p><p>That was the first reason he decided everything was some invented bullshit that he would never believe in.</p><p> </p><p>But even so, he was told that one day his time would come, and he’ll realize that “all that shit” was real. The day he turned 13, the first words his soulmate would ever tell him were supposed to appear on his wrist just like dim tattoo on his light-pale skin.</p><p> </p><p>But the day came. It was his birthday number thirteen when he woke up, just as early as every morning decided to help his mother at the florist she ran. And even when he said he didn’t believe in the soulmate and destiny deal, he was curious. So, he looked at his right wrist, expecting to find some clingy or stupid words written. But there was anything.</p><p> </p><p>He double-checked it, searched on his left hand, but just as the other it was empty. There wasn’t any sign that any mark used to be there.</p><p> </p><p>His light-pale skin was just that. Clean as always.</p><p> </p><p>And that was the main reason he decided he could never, ever believe in all those inventions.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>During high school, he dated some nice girls. But all of them just saw Stephen as something for the moment, always with the hope that the so-called soulmate would come and say the words written on their wrists.</p><p> </p><p>And that was the moment Stephen realized love just wasn’t for him.</p><p> </p><p>He decided to focus on the important things in his life, like his studies, or helping his younger sister with hers, and even sometimes with helping his mother at the flower shop she kept.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Time went by and now he was attending at the luxurious Harvard University, pursuing his dream to be a doctor, all thanks to the letter he got on his last year at high school. It was his first year and he was already thinking about making his M.D on Neurology. He was always so caught up on his studies, never getting the time to meet new people or attending parties, or any of that stuff every college student should enjoy.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, Stephen had his friends, like Christine Palmer. A girl he met and with whom he developed some exceptional friendship since the first class they had together. Stephen could say that despite of anything, he had developed some kind of love for the blonde, even deeper than the friendship they had. But Christine, apart from talking all time about science, medicine and all those topics Stephen loved, she could never stop talking about her dreams of finally meeting the right guy, the day someone would come to her and say the words marked on her wrist. Even though she knew Stephen feelings for her.</p><p> </p><p>Christine, as the good friend she was, she could never miss the time to encourage Stephen, telling him that maybe someday the marks on his wrist could appear and the right girl would come to steal his heart.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Vacations had ended, or at least they did for the normal people. While Stephen decided to take advantage on his studies during summer classes, most of the other students were coming back from their eccentric trips. And with that, there was a new upcoming big party, hosted by some students from Harvard Med Faculty, and some other dudes from MIT.</p><p> </p><p> “Maybe you can finally come to one of this parties we’re always invited. I’m pretty sure you’ll get at least some fun for a night, you know.” His blonde friend suggested taking sit next to Stephen while they were having lunch.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t need a <em>little fun for a night</em>, Christine. This semester just started and if I—” Stephen was trying to evade the insistent invitations from the girl, but she immediately cut him off, knowing where he was going with it.</p><p> </p><p>“You already spent the whole summer coming to school, staying in the library as the smart-ass you are. If you keep like this, you’ll never made any other friends on college, and you’ll probably end up making all those girls that keep drooling for you to get away.” Christine a bit exasperated by his friend keeping acting deliberated indifferent. So, she ended up taking his book away, trying to get his full attention. “Come on, Stephen. I don’t wanna go alone, you know how those guys from MIT are.”</p><p> </p><p>Stephen sighed deeply, knowing there was no way to win. She had been to insistent for the whole time since she came back from her vacations. “You’ve been insisting this whole week, you won’t let me live until I say that I’ll go, right?”</p><p> </p><p> “Please, Stephen. I’m completely sure that if you skip one day at the library any book will get lost. You’re a fucking genius and you know it. You can continue with your homework on Saturday.”</p><p> </p><p>Feeling completely resigned, Stephen ended up accepting the invitation, with the promise that they would meet later that day to arrive together at the party.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Party time was getting closer. While Stephen was at his place, he told his mother that he was going out for the night to a party with Christine. The woman took it right, and she was clearly surprised that her son wanted to go out. It was Donna, his younger sister, the one who was a bit more rebel than him, partying since a young age and always pulling Stephen with her due to their mother excuses that he should take care of Donna.</p><p> </p><p>“Going out tonight? That’s new, Vin.” Was his sister speaking through the slight open door of his dorm, while the called man was still deciding whether using the black leather jacket Christine had gave him or something else less garish.</p><p> </p><p>“You know how Christine is when she wants something.” He answered, and his sister approached to help him decide. That little girl always knew how to help his brother. And even though Stephen was clearly one of those med nerds, he wasn’t exactly as the typical library worm, he knew how to properly dress and wasn’t missing the nice taste on clothing and style. But Donna always was making sure to be near and give some suggestions and to let him know how he surely would lure many girls.</p><p> </p><p>Stephen always thought that Donna was probably the only person he could completely trust. She was his younger sister, and while his other young brother Victor had decided to go live to New York with his parents, she made out her point by staying in Boston with Stephen and her mother. Donna, besides his mother and Christine, was the only who knew about his inexistent mark thing.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>He finally went to meet with Christine one block away from the house the party was happening. It was a bit late, and because of that Stephen was already expecting the kind of disastrous ambience once they arrived. The med student was expecting to find multiple passed out young adults on the floor, completely wasted and stoned to know what they were consuming.</p><p> </p><p>“The great Stephen Strange coming to party? I’m impressed, I’m surely so drunk to imagine this.” Shouted a man first thing the crossed the front door of the enormous and luxurious house. Stephen rolled his eyes regretting already being there, and his friend just laughed and smiled at the drunk man. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>They couldn’t get across the kitchen without another unknown red-haired girl hand them a beer. Stephen couldn’t do more than accept it, he had said he wouldn’t drink too much that night cause the only thing he was doing there was making sure that any asshole tried to go beyond the blonde on his side.</p><p> </p><p>Just as he pictured before, it didn’t take long for Christine walk away from him to go with some friends she recognized on the backyard. She was there with a bunch of clearly drunk and drugged people dancing, some of them getting drinks from a table near the pool. Feeling really boring and misfit thanks to his friend, he decided to stay away for a bit, standing near a wall on the backyard, shifting looks from the girl and some of the attendants.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>He wasn’t sure when did the music stopped and his ears stopped hurting, but now his sight was curious over some short heighted guy and a rebel brunet hair. The young stranger was pouring himself some of the drink Stephen previously categorized as «<em>undrinkable</em>» due to its weird colors. But the most stunning thing from the guy was that even when the music stopped, he kept moving and dancing to the nonexistent music. Across his mind came the thought that he was right about the weird drink. Even so, the short guy seemed to be under the effects of some kind of drug. His brain started acting back to his med student self, and thinking the dude was completely stoned he approached, and put a hand on his shoulder trying to catch his attention.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you alright?” Stephen asked with a worried expression on his face, at the exact moment the music came back on a higher pitch.</p><p> </p><p>The guy turned to him, giving Stephen only a smile. The med student for a moment thought it was the sweetest smile he has ever seen. Not getting any clear answer, Stephen imagine he probably didn’t hear him due to the unexpected noisy music full of autotune and all those odd things Stephen hated about pop trending music playing in that backyard.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, are you feeling alright?” Stephen tried again, this time making his voice a louder at the point he was almost shouting, hoping that the guy would hear him.</p><p> </p><p>The face of the shorter man shifted with confusion. Stephen was sure that this time he had heard him, only judging by his facial expression. But then he started making some weird signs with his hands.</p><p> </p><p>And that was when Stephen realized.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The man was deaf.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Tony.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter from Tony's POV</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tony was born deaf. That’s why he was unable to make any reasonable sound, lesser to make any word come out of it. Despite that his parents enlisted him to special education schools since he was a kid, there was not much to do. Yeah, he had made some progress learning to <em>speak</em>, but he always were too ashamed by his weird and slightly understandable pronunciation, due to his characteristic <em>deaf accent. </em>It wasn’t that he didn’t noticed (because he couldn’t heat himself), but he could seen it on all his middle school classmates, laughing and making fun of him every time he tried to communicate without using sign language.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was around that same time that he met his best friends: Virginia Potts and James Rhodes. For some time, they seemed to be his only friendly support, always helping him with anything related to the school and the times teacher wouldn’t have any touch on trying to use helpful methods for Tony. James was by his side since he can remember, both their parents use to be friends and business partners since long time ago. It was Rhodes family who encourage his son to learn sign language and be the major support on the life of the Stark’s son. Potts, or like Tony loved to call her, Pepper came to his life as a miracle due to having a class with her and without James. It didn’t took long after meeting them to catch some interest into learning an easier way to communicate with the brunette.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Tony never left his disability to be a problem in every aspect of his life. Soon as he joined a private high school his whole life changed. He changed from being the <em>deaf weirdo kid </em>of the class to become the center of attention for most of the time. First of the class, achieving to skip some classes more than one, until he got to graduate even one year before he should, receiving a bunch of letters from a lot of colleges around not even the country, but the world.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>He never really about the words written in his wrist. They were weird «<em>are you alright?</em> »  why someone would ask that? He was living the best of his life! Parties, a lot of friends, eventual one-night-stands with some girls and other times some boys. It was all perfect.</p><p> </p><p>Or that’s what he thought until that winter vacations he was coming back home from college to spend the holidays with his parents in New York.</p><p> </p><p>He was peacefully waiting, Anthony was a happy to finally see his mother after those long six first months he spent at college, living on the dorms from his campus on MIT. The road wasn’t in the best condition, and Tony was neglected to travel to his parent’s residence in any other transport that wasn’t theirs. He wanted to see his family so bad and feel like home as soon as they arrived for him at the airport.</p><p> </p><p>He never expected that that would be the last time he got to see them.</p><p> </p><p>On the way back to the residence, a drunk driver lost control of his car, and the snowed road didn’t help much to his father trying to evade the crash. Their car ended up rolling out of the road. And Tony woke up on the ICU, alone and only to find he was the only one who survived the accident.</p><p> </p><p>The new nearly killed him from the inside, leading him to live with an endless guilt.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Time went by and after his return to Boston he tried to seem calmed. Even though, at night and the moments he spent alone, the memories from that snowy afternoon wouldn’t stop coming back to his head. It was impossible to extern all those feelings inside, knowing that by saying them would only end to accepting it was all his fault. But there wasn’t any way to speak, and sign language never made justice for what he really wanted to express, for all he was feeling and struggling inside.</p><p> </p><p>He decided to keep all that <em>weak lonely kid</em> by the mask he created, drowning himself with alcohol every time he had a chance on the frat parties.</p><p> </p><p>And that was the moment that the words written on his wrist started to make sense. After his accident, no one ever asked him that, only some of the medics that attended him during his time on ICU, asking how he was feeling all the time. But neither of his friends did, all of them believed he had overpassed the whole situation, not being able to see what he was hiding all the time.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Differing from the other students, he didn’t left for summer vacations. The only idea of coming back to an empty place wasn’t amusing. Everything was still so recent, and just thinking about going through the same airport, the same road made him remember everything, threatening to make his breath a lot more unstable and thicker like some nights.</p><p> </p><p>Besides, some the dorms were very comfortable, most of the students would be away, which meant that the labs would be empty and at his all availability to make all his trials and experiments.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>With the summer coming to an end, one of his classmates had the greatest idea of hosting a party at his house, saying that his sister would invite some med students from Harvard, the university next to his.</p><p> </p><p>“I bet that we’ll lose sight of Tony before midnight with any of those cocky guys from Harvard” Said Rhodes. Whenever the three of them were talking, they cared to mix sign language so Tony could understand and follow the talk. The student of engineer knew to read lips, but it was easier for him to keep on track with a talk paying attention only to the hand movements.</p><p> </p><p>“I hope this time at least he says something, not like last semester.” Answered Pepper, and tony only shrugged his shoulders, feeling caught on his plan for the night.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I’ll try not to make much trouble to you two. I’ll see you at night, I gotta go to my mechanical procedure class” </em>Informed Tony using his right hand, while with the other he finished packing his books on his backpack.</p><p> </p><p>Even though he couldn’t listen to any music, he always enjoyed a lot moving in tune when he saw his friends or any other person on a party doing it, letting himself go by the ambience around. And there he was, with some guys from his frat, taking some drinks and dancing to what it seemed to be a funny song judging by the look on the face of the people around. Or maybe it was just the alcohol kicking in.</p><p> </p><p>Things ended up bien the complete opposite they thought that afternoon. Pepper ran off minutes ago with a guy that Tony had never seen before, but she identifies as an old friend. And Rhodey, the last time he saw the aeronautics student, he was on the stairs kissing with another unknown girl.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>His drink was empty now, therefore, decided to get into some deep drunk state for the night, he walked to a table near the dancing people, thinking to serve himself some of that mix he was told it was vodka with some another liquor he forgot and citric juice. Despite of the weird color it had, Tony thought it was pretty good.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t stop moving his hips and body at the same way his colleagues did. How could he know that the music had stopped if he couldn’t hear it since beginning?</p><p> </p><p>Tony noted that some serious façade started approaching his position. He didn’t take much importance, thinking the guy might just wanted to get a drink too. But it wasn’t until he felt a heavy hand over his shoulder that he stopped his small dance and pouring the drink on his half-filled red cup. He didn’t payed attention to his lips movement because he couldn’t turn himself on time to see. As a reaction he couldn’t think better than showing a small and innocent smile like he always did whenever he didn’t understand something, seeming to be friendly.</p><p> </p><p>Once again, the guy seemed to be trying to tell him something, but Tony’s eyes were fixated on the blue ocean eyes that were looking at him with worry. He felt stupid for not paying attention again. Trying to look for a way to explain, noticing how the guy            look like he was making an effort to talk louder, with hopes that the engineer could hear him.</p><p> </p><p>Anthony made some movements with his hands. It was a bit low expectant, but it was worth a shot, trying to explain with signs that he was deaf. So, either the guy understands what he was saying, o he would just realize Tony’s condition.</p><p> </p><p>And the second option seemed to be, judging by the taller man reaction. Once again, Tony only smiled like before, hoping not to make the stranger feel bad.</p><p> </p><p>He felt aback when the guy with black hair started to search something in his dark jeans. Until he saw what it seemed to be his phone. It didn’t take long for when the young man was showing Tony the luminous screen of his phone with two words written.</p><p> </p><p>«<em>are you alright? </em>»</p><p> </p><p>He froze at the moment he read those two words. Were his eyes playing with him because of the drinks he already had? No. He took the phone with both hands and read again those words. He had to take a short moment to not drop his own cup and the phone thanks to the shock that reading that provoked inside him. Words so simple, but that had a bigger meaning for him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you guys are enyoing the story.<br/>Come let me know on twitter: @TonyCantSleep</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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